The Most Comprehensive Deal in Decades Long Relationship Spans Television Audience Measurement and Host of Advisory Services
New York – Jan. 29, 2014 – Nielsen, a leading global provider of information and insights into what consumers watch and buy, and CBS Corporation today announced the expansion of their longstanding relationship with a focus on advancing the state of cross-platform audience measurement and will continue to allow for the use of Nielsen data as a key metric in valuing their content.
The long-term agreement includes several strategic research initiatives such as the creation of attitudinal and behavioral segmentations that enable more discrete precision marketing and facilitate a deeper understanding of the path to purchase and resulting ROI of advertising activities.
Building on the momentum of Nielsen’s recent announcement regarding the upcoming measurement of video on mobile devices and the significant investment in local television audience through Nielsen’s Hybrid program, the agreement will allow the companies to capture viewing in an increasingly fragmented landscape.
“Throughout the last several years CBS and Nielsen have collaborated on a number of major research initiatives designed to improve the state of audience measurement and media evaluation,” said David F. Poltrack, Chief Research Officer, CBS Corporation. “These initiatives have been successful in advancing analytics for traditional media, developing audience measures to encompass the new media alternatives, and integrating these two objectives into a comprehensive cross-platform measurement system. However, these challenges are not effectively addressed by short-term solutions, but require well-planned long-term programs. In recognition of the required long-term commitment required to realize the true promise of advanced media measurement analytics, we have entered into this partnership designed to assure the continuation of our successful collaboration. We look forward to continuing our work with Nielsen to build the knowledge base required to realize the full potential of our media properties for our audiences and our advertisers. “
“For over 30 years, Nielsen and CBS have enjoyed a strong and productive relationship, which will reach into the next decade,” Lynda Clarizio, President U.S. Media, Nielsen. “Recently, CBS and Nielsen renewed and expanded their agreement promising the most comprehensive relationship that our two companies have ever had. Our collaboration on television audience measurement and qualitative tools incorporating consumer purchasing data sets enables CBS to reach ideal audiences with the most effective messaging. Working closely with CBS, we look forward to many more years of bringing innovative and quality audience measurement to the media and advertising industry.”
CBS Corporation (NYSE: CBS.A and CBS) is a mass media company that creates and distributes industry-leading content across a variety of platforms to audiences around the world. The Company has businesses with origins that date back to the dawn of the broadcasting age as well as new ventures that operate on the leading edge of media. CBS owns the most-watched television network in the U.S. and one of the world’s largest libraries of entertainment content, making its brand–“the Eye”–one of the most recognized in business. The Company’s operations span virtually every field of media and entertainment, including cable, publishing, radio, local TV, film, outdoor advertising, and interactive and socially responsible media. CBS’s businesses include CBS Television Network, The CW (a joint venture between CBS Corporation and Warner Bros. Entertainment), Showtime Networks, CBS Sports Network, TVGN (a joint venture between CBS Corporation and Lionsgate), Smithsonian Networks, Simon & Schuster, CBS Television Stations, CBS Radio, CBS Outdoor, CBS Television Studios, CBS Global Distribution Group (CBS Studios International and CBS Television Distribution), CBS Interactive, CBS Consumer Products, CBS Home Entertainment, CBS Films and CBS EcoMedia. For more information, go to www.cbscorporation.com.
Nielsen Holdings N.V. (NYSE: NLSN) is a global information and measurement company with leading market positions in marketing and consumer information, television and other media measurement, online intelligence and mobile measurement. Nielsen has a presence in approximately 100 countries, with headquarters in New York, U.S., and Diemen, the Netherlands. For more information, visit www.nielsen.com.
CBS: Shannon Jacobs, sljacobs@cbs.com
Nielsen: Flavie Lemarchand-Wood, flavie.lemarchand-wood@nielsen.com